Dreaming of the Promise of a New Era
by AnotherJounin
Summary: Captain Sagara's thoughts on the last night of his earthly life. Please REVIEW!


Dreaming of the Promise of a New Era

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

"Captain?" I recognized the voice and smiled, trying to let the tension that I had felt building all day drain away. 

"What is it?"

"Hayato sent me to find you. He says he's found us some dinner."

I stood. The tension hadn't left and I still felt it chill like an invisible cloak. On the same thought, it would have been a good time to bring my cloak with me. There was snow on the ground and snow was beginning to fall again. I loved winter, it reminded me of peace somehow, the whole world shrouded in white and silence. No, no, that was a bad choice of words, I thought and shook my head. "Pay close attention, Sanosuke," I began. It was important that he heard this, tonight. Not that he didn't know, but I felt he needed a gentle reminder. "Soon, the Tokugawa regime which has lasted for over three hundred years will end, and a new era will begin. Finally oppression of the weak will come to an end forever. It will be a time for all people, no matter who they are to be treated as equal under the government. We will have a fresh start. We of the Seichoutai will lead this movement."

He nodded. "We'll have to work hard and do our best to help create a new world as soon as we can, isn't that right, Captain? I've heard that many times before!" We began to head back to our temporary camp. "Hey, Captain? When the time comes that everybody's equal, you think I'll be able to have a last name too?"

"Sure."

"Can I take yours? I'd really like it if my last name was Sagara, just like yours, Captain! Do you think that would be all right?" he added, a trifle hesitantly.

I hid a smile. "Sanosuke Sagara, huh? I don't think so, you'd better pick something that doesn't sound so weird." I knew that if he was serious, he'd take my last name anyway, and while I was honored that he thought so highly of me, I had a strange feeling that something was very wrong and the less that connected us, names, association, the better it would be for him. I didn't let that show, and Sanosuke only smiled and laughed.

I heard a rider approaching and soon a man came into view. He was military, I guessed even from a distance and when he spoke, he came straight to the point. "I take it that you are the captain of Seichoutai Troop One, are you not?"

That was simple enough to see, I thought. The chill feeling worsened. It was him. His coming. Something was terribly wrong.

"I am Tatowaci Shindo staff officer of the Government Army, I've come from Head Quarters in Shimozua to give you orders directly from the Government General."

"From the Government General?" What did the Government General want with us? Orders, simple orders. Why not send a trusted courier?

"Huh? Captain?" Sanosuke looked equally surprised and a little worried. 

I thought he had picked up my worry perhaps, or maybe the sense of not-right coming from Shindo was strong enough for him to feel like I did. Regardless. "What are the orders?" I asked.

"Assemble your officers and have them meet in my tent. What I have to say is for all of you to hear."

"Sanosuke, will you please tell Hayato to assemble the others and that I will meet them at Shindo's tent."

"Yes sir!"

Zeshin broke the stunned silence. "Huh? What do you mean? The Seichoutai isn't a real army of the government?"

"Please explain the meaning completely, Mr. Shindo," I said, putting as much of the cold as I felt into my statement and forcing a mental regroup. But already I could see the grim possible outcomes.

"You went off on your own spreading lies to the people that their taxes would be cut in half, causing severe confusion among the masses. This insubordinate action has unfortunately made the Imperialist Government lose faith in you. Your crimes have been found inexcusable. Everyone involved in this false army shall be executed!"

"What are you talking about? We were just following direct orders from the Government General- that's all!" Tessai protested angrily.

"I understand," I said. All other possibilities had been eliminated. Now the truth, however ugly, was the answer that remained.

"Captain?" Almost as one, my men turned to look at me, but I only looked at Shindo, the man who had condemned us to death.

"Although the Seichoutai was following orders, the plan to cut taxes in half must be bothering the Imperialist Government. They promised to cut taxes in the first place in order to get the farmers to side with them. But now the Imperialist Government is having financial problems and they can't possibly go through with the plan. So they decided to make the Seichoutai a scapegoat and say we were nothing but a false army, spreading empty rumors. Isn't that right, Mr. Shindo?" My voice had gotten louder and angrier as I went, but I didn't care. _They lied to us!_

"What are you going to do if it is?" Shindo asked with a smirk. 

He knew there was nothing we could do. Who would people listen to? The leader of a 'false army' or a trusted representative of the Government General? _How can they do this to us?_ "We fought bravely, believing that the Imperialist Government was right and just and that we were doing our part to help those weaker than us! We were dreaming of the promise of the new era!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but such idealism doesn't work in times of war. This is not about good versus evil, it's about the strong getting the pot of gold and the weak getting nothing at all. In the end what it all boils down to is the winners are right and just and the losers are nothing but dust in the wind. Just like the Seichoutai!"

"What?" Hayato still didn't seem to understand.

Shindo clicked his fingers and a sword sliced through the wall of the tent. All of the thin walls came down now and we could see what they were hiding- almost a regiment of riflemen. I could feel Sanosuke's fear the strongest, since he was right next to me, but the others were no less terrified. Perhaps I was the only one who had guessed what might happen. We wouldn't have the benefit of a trial of any kind. They'd just mow us down. They couldn't afford the chance that someone might listen to us and understand what had happened. Shindo spoke. "The Imperialist government would like to thank you for your work. You're dismissed."

Tessai drew his sword.

"Captain!"

I took the sword from Sanosuke and swung the scabbard back hard. No need for him to die too.

"Fire!" I saw the fire blossom from the mouths of the guns, heard the sharp report and saw Tessai and Zeshin fall. Then I felt something strike me below my right shoulder and I gasped in pain.

"Captain! No!" I heard Sanosuke shout.

I would have fallen had I not supported myself with my sword. Pain, throbbing waves of it threatened to take me down, but I pushed them back. Somehow that burst of fire had not killed me. Ryoko and Koshiro charged, swords drawn and yelling. I guessed they preferred to die in a pretense of battle than to stand and be slaughtered. Then my strength finally deserted me and I would have fallen, but Hayato and Reijiro grabbed me between them and Sanosuke grabbed my sword. They ran. I was slowing them down. I never felt more useless. They were going to die because of me.

"There he is!" I heard someone shout.

"Look after him," Hayato said to Sanosuke and with a yell, he and Reijiro left us, drawing their swords, hoping to provide cover for our escape. We heard the fire that mowed them down as Sanosuke dragged me along. I always knew the boy was stubborn. I never guessed he would be stubborn enough to try to save me… I shouldn't have underestimated him… Finally he fell. I couldn't see him die too. Not after everyone else had. I couldn't let him die.

"Leave me here, you've got to run, Sanosuke!" I ordered.

"No, I'm not gonna leave you, Captain!" he insisted. Now I saw. I refused to let him die, he refused to let me die. But he hadn't seen the torches yet. They were so close now.

"Sanosuke!" I took my sword from him and forced myself to stand up. "You've got to get out of here!" Nowhere to go, up a cliff, our backs to a river. I'd have to chance it. I threw him.

"Captain Sagara!" he shouted. I drew my sword and faced my enemies. There was another volley. This time I felt two more bullets hit me. _Please…let Sanosuke be all right…_ I thought. Then darkness took me.


End file.
